New Research Center Opens in Korea to Develop Advanced Brain Treatment Technologies

The Max Planck Society, renowned as a 'Nobel Prize Academy,' is set to open a new international research center at Yonsei University in South Korea. This center will be the second of its kind in Asia, following the RIKEN Center in Japan. The Max Planck Society, recognized as one of the world's leading research institutions, collaborates with top-tier research organizations across ten countries, operating a total of 18 joint research centers. The focus of this new center will be on developing AI (artificial intelligence)-based nanorobots for diagnosing and treating brain diseases.

According to the Max Planck Society and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Nano-Medicine Research Group, the opening ceremony for the 'Max Planck-Yonsei IBS Nano-Medicine Deep Control Center' will take place on July 28 at Yonsei University. The IBS Nano-Medicine Research Group submitted a proposal for the establishment of the Korean center to Max Planck in November last year, and after final approval, both parties signed a contract last month.

With a history spanning 114 years, the Max Planck Society has produced 39 Nobel laureates, including notable figures like Albert Einstein and Max Planck himself. Ferenc Krausz, the director of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023. The society has established partnerships with prestigious universities such as Harvard and Columbia in the United States, as well as Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

The new center will be jointly funded by IBS and the Max Planck Society, with an annual budget of €500,000 (approximately 800 million KRW) for five years, subject to extension based on evaluation results. It will be co-managed by the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, the IBS Nano-Medicine Research Group, and Severance Hospital. Joachim Spatz, a biophysics expert from Germany, and Jinwoo Cheon, the head of the IBS research group, will serve as co-directors of the center.

Last year, the IBS Nano-Medicine Research Group made headlines by developing the world's first nanorobot, measuring one-fiftieth the size of a red blood cell (10 micrometers), capable of autonomously detecting genetic signals. The Max Planck Society has shown particular interest in this innovation. The two research institutions plan to integrate AI learning capabilities into these nanorobots to create technologies that can treat brain and nervous system conditions without the need for surgical procedures. An IBS representative stated, 'We expect many of Germany's top neuroscientists to come to Korea for research, and we anticipate significant advancements in cutting-edge treatment technologies for brain diseases through collaboration between scholars from both countries.'

Around 200 researchers from Max Planck and IBS will engage in joint research at the new center, with about 20 Max Planck researchers stationed at Yonsei University. They have recently requested the establishment of specialized microscopy and advanced ultrasound facilities. Research spaces will also be set up at locations such as Sinchon Severance Hospital. An IBS official mentioned, 'We have requested that the Yonsei University administration grant faculty positions to Max Planck researchers. If they are exempted from teaching and administrative duties, more international researchers will be able to conduct their studies in Korea.'